Police shootings in San Francisco from 2011-2017: The Disproportionate Killing of Black and Brown People!

This report summarizes statistical data about officer-involved shootings (OIS) in San Francisco, during the office of former and now deceased Mayor Ed Lee from 2011 to 2017. It is based on information collected in our data set of “SFPD OIS, Scandals and Impunity 2011-2017,” published as part of our effort to establish a People’s Police Observatory to keep SFPD accountable.

Confirmed: African-Americans and Latinos are disproportionately killed by SFPD

Between 2011 and 2017, there were 51 officer-involved shootings (OIS) carried out by San Francisco police officers. This means that on average there were 8.5 OIS per year in the last six years.

Of those 51 OIS:

22 were fatal and 29 were non-fatal, i.e. 43% were fatal and 57% were non-fatal

59% of those killed in a fatal OIS, whose race we know, were people of color, primarily Latino and black

Black people are 5 times more likely to be shot and killed by SFPD than white people in the City. Latinos in San Francisco are 2.4 times more likely to be shot and killed by SFPD than white people in San Francisco. This based on the following:

Hispanics comprise 14.7% of the population of San Francisco, but represented 27% of all those killed. (1.8 times overrepresented)

African-Americans comprise 5.9% of the population of San Francisco, but represented 23% of all those killed. (3.9 times overrepresented)

Caucasians comprise 41.7% of the population of San Francisco, but represented 32% of all those killed. (.77 times underrepresented)

Based on our report D.A. Gascón’s Scorecard on Police Accountability: OIS 2011-2017, we know that no OIS—whether fatal or non-fatal—from 2011-2017 has resulted in charges against officers involved. In those investigations closed, D.A. Gascón stated that there was either insufficient evidence to show wrongdoing or that officers acted lawfully.